Travel "tumble dryer".

For a 16 day trip to hot Thailand, I bring:

1 pair of shoes.

2 pair of socks.

3 pair of underpants.

1 pair of shorts for swimming.

1 pair of (zip off) trousers.

1 t-shirt which I wear 90 % of the time, and 2 shirts for dressing up.

With the few electronics and toiletries I brought also, it all weighed less than 5 kg and only took up 1/2 of my small backpack. No need for checking anything in for the flight & very easy to get from place to place.

I can get by with so little because it is all light weight & quick drying. I wash it every day (sometimes twice a day), using my "travel dryer" and the clothes will be so close to dry that I can put them right back on, or let them dry for 1/2-1 hour more and they will be fully dry.

I wash the clothes in the hotel sink, or in a plastic bag if the sink is unavailable / undesirable, with a little bit of very concentrated and organic Dr. Bonners castile soap (you can use the hotel shower soap /shampoo instead), wring it out by hand, rinse it briefly, wring it out by hand again and then put it inside a towel which I'll then stand on, which absorbs the majority of the water still left, and dries the clothes enough that you can put them right back on in a warm environment.

Wash the clothes in the sink, or a plastic bag, with a little soap.

 

 

 

 

Put the wrung out by hand pants on a towel.

Fold the towel in around the pants.

Keep folding.

Folded to a flat rectangle.

Now fold it once or twice more lengthwise and put it on the floor.

Stand on the towel and step all over it to press the water out of the clothes and into the towel.

Take the pants out of the towel and they will be dry enough to wear right away.

T-shirts and shirts gets the same treatment and are wearable after.

Underwear & socks are wearable also after being dried like this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Evolution: I used to pack as much as possible just in case I should need it, pay for checked in luggage, wait at checking in and to pick up my luggage after, lug along a heave suitcase and have a mess in my hotel room with stuff everywhere. Now I only bring the bare necessities, which is much cheaper, easier & faster. Should I need something I didn't bring, I usually travel in countries where everything is very cheap and easy to buy.

Cost: Towels are usually provided at the hotels or rentable for cheap at hostels, and not bringing checked in suit cases often saves money.

Time: 5-10 minutes per day to wash and dry the clothes.

Difficulty: Easy.

Weight & size: Zero. Saves you a lot of hassle not having to lug so much clothes around.

Sustainable: Less weight brought on the plane saves fuel.

Best: Comfortable lightweight clothes, a towel and a few minutes each day makes for an easy way to save money and hassle. Scottewest makes a range of clothes with many built in pockets, and people have travelled around the world with the few possessions they bring in their pockets and no bags at all.

I will love to hear your experiences, comments and suggestions for better ways to do on-trip laundry.